Circle K hopes to replace BP in Twinsburg

Saturday

TWINSBURG — A Circle K gasoline station, convenience store and car wash will occupy the site of the former BP station at Route 82 and I-480 if the planning commission approves a final site plan.

A preliminary site plan for the location was approved Feb. 4 by the panel. According to city planner Lynn Muter, the proposed auto-oriented use remains conditionally permitted in the C-3 business zoning district.

Muter said BP’s conditional use permit can be transferred or assigned to Circle K for the same use if the business operates similarly.

In its preliminary site plan application, Circle K officials said the primary focus of the project is to provide an improved entrance and exit, a new car wash, additional underground storage tanks and re-imaged Circle K facilities.

The 2.14-acre site would have building coverage of 5.9 percent (5,532 square feet total), which complies with the required 25 percent coverage.

The existing car wash would be removed and a new one would be erected on the west side of the property. Two new connections to the adjacent Burger King restaurant would improve access to the signalized intersection at Twin Hills Drive and Route 82.

The existing convenience store building would remain, and the existing canopy and fuel pumps would remain and be re-imaged. A handful of variances are needed from the board of zoning appeals for the single-story car wash.

Muter said the site is in compliance with parking regulations. Sixty-eight spaces are planned, with eight of them shared with Burger King.

The site’s western access drive would remain as is, allowing for continued use as both a left and right turn ingress and egress, while the eastern drive would be reconfigured to allow for only right in and right out movements.

OTHER MATTERS

A lot split encompassing 14.5 acres owned by Scannell Propertes near the intersection of Route 91 and Old Mill Road was approved. The land is zoned I-2 limited industrial district.

One parcel will be 13.4 acres with frontage on Route 91 and Old Mill and the other will be 1.1 acre with frontage on Old Mill.

The planning panel also approved an amendment to the zoning code relating to yard and building setback requirements in the industrial zoning district. It would make off-street parking setback requirements the same as in the business zoning district.

The amendment reads as follows: "Where off-street parking areas are planned and designed as a coordinated facility with adjacent or planned parking areas, the planning commission may waive the side-yard parking and drive setback requirements of this chapter."

Muter said an example of previous approvals under this type of waiver to side-yard setbacks is the Creekside Drive development, where driveways and parking areas straddle three property lines, allowing for shared facilities between various property owners.

Planning panelists also heard presentations by Director of Planning and Community Development Larry Finch about the city forming a downtown redevelopment district, and from Muter about regulations that are being drafted to comply with state small cell technology legislation.

Reporter Ken Lahmers can be reached at 330-541-9400 ext. 4189 or klahmers@recordpub.com